Thank the Academy

Upgrade your holiday movie-going plans and prep for that 84th Academy Awards viewing party in style, with a trip to Aspen’s Wheeler Opera House, where Aspen Film is presenting a program of Oscar contenders from now through January 1.

The Aspen Film Academy Screenings have become a beloved film-industry tradition over the past two decades, and tickets are free to voting members of the Academy, which means you’re all but guaranteed to spot some celebrities in the popcorn line (try not to swoon). “What makes this showcase unique, one of the only such series in the country, is that it’s open to the public, so Aspen’s high-profile visitors and residents can also see some of the season’s most-talked-about films,” says Aspen Film artistic director Laura Thielen.

Movies in this year’s program include Zero Dark Thirty, Not Fade Away, Promised Land, Quartet and other contenders. All screenings are at the Wheeler, 320 East Hyman Street; general-admission tickets are $15 per screening at www.aspenshowtix.com. For film trailers and a complete schedule, visit www.aspenfilm.org.
Dec. 25-Jan. 1, 2012